The Sun. — London, England, 1808-12-23 00:00:00

AMERIC.I. PR E Si DE ESSAG E :WASHINGTON, Nov. 7.—Both Houses made a quorum this forenoon, and having appointed a Com mittee to inform the President froM each House, they adjourned after their.Comtnittees had returned with an answer, that he would send a written com munication to-morrow (Tuesday.) NOVEMBER 8.-This day, as usual, at norm, the following Aiessage, with the several documents ac co upanyiog it, was presented to both Houses : MESSAGE. " TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES. " It would have been a source, fellow-citizens, of much gratification, if our last communications from Europe had enabled me to inform you, that the belligerent nations, whose disregard of neutral right has been so destructive to our commerce, had become awakened to the duty and the policy of re voking their unrighteous Edicts. That no means might be omitted to produce this salutary effect, I lost no time in availing myself of the Act authorising a suspension, in whole, or in part, of the several Embargo laws. Our Ministers at London and Paris were instructed to explain to the respective Govern ments there, our disposition to exercise the authority in such manner as would withdraw the pretext en ,which the aggressions were originally founded, and open the way for a renewal of that commercial intercourse, which, it was alledged on all sides, bad been reluctantly obstructed. As each of these Governments had pledged its readiness to concur in renouncing a measure, which reach ed its adversary through the incontestible rights of neutrals only, and as the measure had been assumed by each as a retaliation for an asserted acquiescence in the aggressions of the other, it was reasonably expected that the occasion would .have been seized by both, for evincing the sincerity of their professiens, and for restoring to the United States its legitimate freedom.. The instructions to our Ministers, with respe& to the different Bellige rents, were necessarily modified with a reference to their different circumstances, and to the con dition annexed by law to the executive power of suspension, requiring a degree of security to our commerce, which would not result from a repeal of the decrees of France. Instead of a pledge, there fore, for a suspension of the embargo as to her, in case of such a repeal, it was presumed that a suffi cient inducement might be found in other conside rations, and particularly in the change produced by a compliance with our just demands, by one Belli gerent, and a refusal by the other, in the relations between this other and the United States. To Great Britain, whose power on the ocean is so ascendant, it was deemed not inconsistent with that condition, to state, explicitly, that on her rescinding her Orders in relation to the commerce of the United States, Their trade would be opened with her, and remain shut to her enemy, in care of his failure to rescind his decrees also. From France no answer has been received, nor any indication that the requisite change is her decrees . is contemplated. The favourable re ception of the proposition to Great Britain was the less to be doubted, as her Orders of Council had not on)r,been referred for their vindication to an ac quiescence on the part of the United States, no longer to be pretended; but as the arrangement proposed, whilst it resisted the illegal decrees pf France, involved, moreover, substantially the pre cise. advantages professedly aimed at by the Brit,. WI Order's. The arrangement has, nevertheless, been rejected. " This candid and liberal experiment haying thus failed, and no other event having occurred on which , a suspension of the Embargo by the Executive was acthoriser,i, it necessarily remains in the extent ori ginally given toit. We have the satisfaaion, hoW eter, to reflect, that in return for the privations im posed by . the measure; and which our fellow-citizens in 'general have borne with patriotism, it has had toe -important effects of saving our mariners, and our vast mercantile property, as well as of affording time fOr,prosecuting the defensive and provisional measures called for by the occasion. , It has demon strated to foreign nations the moderation and firm . - • which govern our Councils, and to our citizens the.necessity of uniting in support of the laws and th . e rights of their country; and has thus long frus trafed' those usurpations and . spoliations which,, if resisted, invtived war; if submitted to, sacrificed a vital pripCiple.of our. national independence. '" Under a continuance.of the belligerent mea sures, which, in defiance of laws which consecrate the rights of neutrals, overspread the ocean with dangee,__;t will rest with the wisdom of Congress to decide *on the 'course best adapted to such a state of. things ; and bringing with them, as they do, from every part .of the Union, the sentiments 'of. our ecipptiti.r.n — t,iny confidence strenathened that in 4 • • • -• i - or Ming this decision, they will, with an unerring iNard to the essential rights and interests pf the nation, — weil,h and compare the painful alternatives out of which a choice is to he made. .Nor should I do justice ; to the virtues which on other occasions have marked the ,charaaer of onr fellow-citizens,if I did not cherish an equal confidence that the alter native chosen, whatever it may be, will be main tained with all the, fortitude and patriotism which the crisis ought to inspire. " The documents containing . the correspondences' on the snbje6t of the foreign edits against our com merce, with the instructions given to our Ministrri at London and ,Paris, are now laid before you " The communication nude to Congress at their last Session explained the posture in which he close of the discussions relating to the attack by a British Ship of War on the Frigate clzesapeake, left a subjeEt.on which the nation had manifested so honourablpa sensibility. Every view of what had passed authorised a belief that immediate steps would be taken by the British Government for redressing a wrong, which, the more it was investigated, ap peared the more clearly to require what had not been provided for in'the Special mission. it is found that no steps have been taken for the purpose. On the contrary, it will be seen in the docurnentslaid before you, that the inadmissible prekiminary * which . obstructs the adjustment is still adhered to ; moreover, that it is now brought _into connexion with the distinct and irrelative case of the Orders in Council. The instruaions which had been given to our Ministers at London, with a view to faci litate, if necessary, the reparation claimed by the United States, are included in the documents com municated. " Our relations with the other Powers of Eu rope have undergone no material changes since, your last Session. The important negociations with. Spain, which had been alternately suspended and resumed, necessarily experience a pause, under the extraordinary and interesting crisis which distin guishes her internal situation. " With the Barbary Powers we continue in her , moray, with the exception of an unjustifiable pro ceeding of the Dey of Algiers towards our Consul to that gegency. Its charaaer and circumstances are now laid before you, and will enable you to de cide how far it may, either now or hereafter, call for any measures not within the limits of the Ex ecutive Authority. " With our ;Indian neighbours the public peace has been steadily maintained. Some instances of individual wrong have, as at other times, taken place, but in no wise implicating the will of the na tion. Beyond the Mississippi, the foways, the Sacs, and the Alibatnas, have delivered up, for trial and punishment, individuals from among themselves accused of murdering Citizens of the United States, on this side the Mississippi ; the Creeks are exerting tbempelves to arrest offenders of the same .kind ; and the Chodaws have manifested their readiness and desire for atnicable..and just arrangements, re speEling depredations committed by disorderly per .sons of their tribe. And generally from a convic tion that we consider them as a • part of ourselves, and cherish with sincerity their rights and interests, the attachment of the Indian tribes is gaining strength daily, is extending from the nearer - to the more remote, and will amply requite us for the justice and friendship prglised towards them; hus bandry and household rnanufgture are advancing among them more rapidly with the Southern than_ the . Northern tribes, from circumstances of soil and climate : and one of the two great divi sions of the Cherokee nation have now under consideration, to solicit the citizenship , of the, United States, and to be identified with us in laws and Government, in such progressive manner as we shall think best. " In consequence of the appropriations of the last Session of Congress for the security of our seaport towns and harbours, such works of defence have beep erected as seemed ;o be called for by the situ ! . ation of the several places, their relative importance, and the scale of expense indicated by the amount of the appropriation. These works will chiefly be finished in the course of the present season, except at New York and Qrleat, where most was to be done; and although a great proportion of the lest appropriation has been expended on the former place, yet some further views will be submitted to Congress for rendering its security entirely adequate against naval enterprize. A view'of what has been done at places, and of what is proposed to be done, shall be communicated as soon as the se veral reports are received. Of the Gun-boats authorised by the Aa of December last, it has beep thought peeessary -to build only 103 in the present year; these, with those Before possessed, are sufficient for the harbours and waters most exposed, and the residue will re qure i little time for their constrAion, when it shall be deemed necessary. " Under the Ati of the last Session,• to r raising an additional military force, so many Officers were immediately appointed as were necessary for carry lag , ti?e ,business of recruiting ; and in prom- , ,tion as „it advanced, others have been added. We ,have reason tp bqiieve their success has beelftsatis faatiry, although such returns have not been receiv ed as enable me to presetit you a stateruettt : of the numbers engaged. " I have not thought it necessary, in the course of the last season, to Call for any general detarhments of Militia, or of Volunteers, under the laws passed for that purpose ; for the ensuing season, however, they be required .to be in readine, should their service be wanted. Some small and special detach ments have been necessary to maintain the laws of embargo on that portion of our Nor:het-4 frontier which offered ,peculiar facilities for evasion; but these were replaced as soon as it could be done, by bodies of new recruits. By the aid of these, and of the armed vessels called into service in other quarters, the spirit of disobedience and abuse, whiCh manifested itself early, and with sensible effeat, while we were unprepared to meet it, has been considerably repressed. " Considering the extraordinary charaEler of the times in which.-we live, our attention should unre mittingly be fixed on the safety of onr country; for a people who are free, and who mean to remain so, a well organised anti armed Militia is their best se curity. It is therefore incumbent on us, at every meeting, to revise the condition of the Militia, and to ask ourselves it it is prepared to repel a powerful enemy at eyery point of our territories exposed to invasion. Some of the States- have paid a laudable . attention to this tobje6l, but every degree of neglect is to be found Among others. Congress alone having the power to produce an uniform state of prepara, tion in this great organ of defence, the interests which they so deeply feel in their own and their country's security, will present this as among the most important obje&s of their deliberation. " Under the AEts of March tt, and April 23', respeCting arms, the difficulty of procuring t i hein from abroad, during the present situation and dispo sitions of Europe, induced us to direEt our whole efforts to the means of internal supply; the public factories have therefore been enlarged, additional machineries erected, and, in proportion. as artificers : can be found or formed, their effect,, already more than doubled, may be increased so as to keep pace with the yearly increase of the Militia. The annual sums appropriated by the latter Act, have been di. rected to the encouragement of private factories of arms ; and contra is have been entered into with individual undertakers, to nearly the amount of the first year's appropriation. " The suspension of our foreign commerce, pro. duced by the injuctice of the Belligerent Powers, and the consequent losses and sacrifice; of our citi zens, are . subjetls of just concern. The situation into which wehave thus been forced, has impelled us to apply a portion of ow industry and capital to internal manufaeturcs and improvements. The ex tent of this conversion is daily increasing, and little doubt remains that the establishments formed and forming, will, under the auspices of cheaper mate rials and subsi3tence, the freedom of labour from taxation with us, and of proteaing duties and pro hibitions, become permanent. The commerce with the Indies too, within our own boundaries, is likely to receive abundant aliment from the same internal source, and will secure to them peace and the pro gress of civilization, undisturbed by praetices hostile to both, 4 , The accounts of the receipts and expenditures during the year ending on the 3oth day of Septem ber last, being not yet made up, a corre& statement will hereafter be transmitted from the Treasury. In the mean tirne, it is ascertained that the receipts have amounted to near eighteen millions of dollars, which, with the eight millions and a half in the Treasury at the beginning of the year, have enabled us, after meeting the current demands and interest incurred, to pay two millions three hundred thou sand dollars ofthe principal of our funded debt, and left us in the Treasury on that day,. near fourteen millions of dollars; of these, five millions three hun dred and fifty thousand dollars will be necessary to pay what will be due pp the first day of January next, which will complete the reimbursement of _the eight per cent. stock. These payments, with those made in the six years and a half preceding, will have.ex tinguished thirty-three millions five hundred and eighty thousand dollars of the principal of the funded debt,. being the whole which could be paid . or purchased • within the limits of 'the law and of our contrads ; and the amount of principal thus discharged; :will have liberated the revenue from about Nip millions_ of dollars of interest, and added that rpm annually to the disposeable surplus. The probable accumulation of the surplusses of re .. venne, beyond what can be applied to the payment. of the public debt, whenever the'freedom and safety -of our commerce shall be restored, merits the consi deration of Congress. §hall it be unproduaive in the prittlic vaults ? Shall the revenue be reduced? or shall it not rather be appropriated to the improvement , of roads, canals, rivers, education, and other .great foundations of prosperity and union, under the ro v " crs which Congress may already possess, or sack amendment of the Constituti on a s may be approve by the States while uncertain of the course of thingg , the time may be advantageously employed 'in obtain` in; the powers necessary for a systenaof improv e ` ment, should that be th oug ht b es t, Availing myself of this, the last occasion Wa t: h ic will occur, of addressing th e t wo H o uses of Legisla ture at their meeting, I cannot omit the expressio n of my sincere gratitude, for the repeated proofs Of confidence manifested tome by themselves and their predecessors, since •my call to the Administratio o, and the m a ny indulgen.cies experienced at their hands,; the same grateful acknowledgements ere due to my fellow-citizens generally, whose suPPO has been my great encouragement under all enlba r " rassments. In the transaaion of their business, cannot have escaped error—it is incident to o ur jar perfea nature; but I may say, with truthi my er rorg have been of the understanding, not of intention; and that the advancem en t o f t h e i r r i g h ts andirate rests has been the constant motive fpr e ve s ° ea ,. sure. On these consideratio ns , I so li c i t their kodw. gence. Looking forward with . anxiety to their II " ture dustinies, I trust, that in their steady char3 B e r ' unshaken by difficulties, in their love of liberty, obedience to law, and support of the puldie authoi rities, I see a sure guarantee of the p . ermanence o f our Republic ; and, retiring from the charge of their affairs, I carry with me the consolation of a frl ti persuasion, that Heaven has in store for our belev e :C l country, long ages to come of prosperity and baP: • piness. ." Ti. JEFFERSON' • " Nov. g, 1808," MAILS. DuE-2, Gottenburgh. PRICE OF STOCKS, THIS DA Y AT TWILLVE O'Cll4 LOCK. m diS• Consols -66 i I Red. Ann; 65 I Oniunl THE SUET, QUIS paw /ALMA AyDEAT? LON D 0 MAT, - 411,q214.132 it ' 4 O, It3oB - THIS Torning . :arrived a Mail ,from,New4o 4 . beonght to Falmouth' by the. 4 6 ,isseess 44 14 * , Packcgt, in 3(:) days passage. , By this Vessel we have receives ,st ew-York Paper from which we have extra#ed OieNiessa,a Piescleni of the United ttates to the Senate a> House of Representatives. We have not rops4 present to comment at length ,opon this irapo.f t cn• 4131 0 document, but there are s ome p arts .0 1 it. ••, Ave cannot pass over without. notice. Mrl PERSON says, that he offered to the 43eiligis - r Powers, that if we would rescind our Ord, er ' in Council, and if France would rescind her • crees, he would remov e ,the ginbar g o. Tq thi! ' proposition he says, Great Britain has LEOPed' ID, , assent, and from France he has received no ari 3 w 4r It is singular that it did not occur to Mr, JerY. so' that our Orders in - Conn - di were not adO; with any hostile views towards . America, but !fs measure of retaliation against France. The S4SOW sion of the Embargo in America cannot alter nature of our relations with France, nor alter 04 ground upon .which our Orders in Council lo t founded. If those Orders had been issued Subseq o C. 4 to, and in consequence of the Embargo, then 0 0 4. offer by America to take off the Embargo W OO justify her in asking us to rescind our Orders in 0:0; cil ; but it cannot be urged a s a reason w hy . s.l should abandon the measures we have been cc" ://# , pelled to take against France. Some of the Opposition Writers express great in' dignation whenever the epithet, " faetious," is air plied to them, but instead of resorting to abuse, We wish they would end e av o u r t o s ho w t h e injustice of the application. We are not fond, in politiCal cussious, of having recourse to hard names, but eye really know no other word ip the Eriglish languag e , (at least of milder import) by which their c ondua can be fairly designated. If it be not fa&ion, tD such a contest as that we are engaged in at present , to take every opportunity of decrying the Goveroi ment of the Country, of ridiculing its exertions, °, e:.aggerating its failures, and of depreciating itssW cesses, we really do not know themeaning of term. The, objeta in view is, to procure the re''• moval of the present Administration, in order tl]! the Country may, again witness the rigour of their Predecessors. This obje& the Party cannot accorn' plish by fair means, and when they resort to riga' sures of an opposite tendency, they ire extremely angry if their condu& is described in its proper co" lours. They think themselves justified in loadirig His Majesty's Ministers With every species of re proach, in making the most Unfounded assertions , 4 1 preferring the must absurd and contradi&ory charges, in traducing our Commanders ; Ulf if the ilightes r attar be made in return, -they immediately cour